Freshman Language Arts - 9th

  A - Listening, Speaking and Viewing

1.  apply interviewing techniques (i.e., prepare and ask relevant questions; make notes of responses; use language that conveys maturity, sensitivity and respect; respond correctly to questions) and listen to an interview to acquire information  

 2.  observe, listen critically to and respond to written and oral communication in a variety of genres and media

 3.  acquire increased vocabulary through listening and demonstrate that vocabulary through speaking   

4. recognize speaker's purpose and identify verbal and nonverbal components of communication

    read with rhythm, flow and meter that sounds like everyday speech

5. deliver oral presentations (narrative, expository or persuasive) that incorporate the same elements found in that mode or genre of writing 

6.  take notes from lectures, reading, viewing and interviewing

7.  present information through reports, demonstrations and projects

  B - Reading/Literature (Comprehension, Strategies and Genre)

   1. read for a variety of purposes in all content areas; expect reading to make sense, to answer questions or to stimulate ideas

  2.  relate a literary work to non-literary and/or other texts from its literary period and historical setting

  3.  distinguish between statements of fact and statements of opinion

4.    summarize and paraphrase literary and informational text

 5.   evaluate information from common graphic features (i.e., graphic organizers, diagrams, captions, illustrations)

6.    evaluate quality of reading material and its content based on author's purpose, meaning and structure

7.    read to identify elements of various genres including drama, novels, short stories, poetry, nonfiction, technical writing and satire

8.    analyze plot and theme across genres

  9.  identify and analyze imagery, sensory language, exaggeration, symbolism, foreshadowing and irony

10.    identify, analyze and apply knowledge of the structures and elements of literary and informational texts, including poetry, memoir, biography, autobiography and essay  

  C - Reading (Vocabulary)

   1.  expand vocabulary through reading in all content areas, etymology and the use of dictionaries and other references

   2.  use context clues to identify unknown words while reading

  3.   use Greek and Latin prefixes, suffixes and roots to identify meaning and structure of words

  4.  use idioms, cognates, words with literal and figurative meanings and patterns of word changes that indicate different meanings or functions

  5.  use dictionary, glossary, thesaurus, electronic and other references to identify word meanings    

  D - Reading Across the Curriculum

   1. identify messages and themes from books in all subject areas and relate from one subject area to another

  2.  identify messages and themes from books in all subject areas and relate from one subject area to another

   3. evaluate the effectiveness of texts in every subject area

  4.  use strategies for finding content and contextual meaning for unfamiliar words or concepts

5.  recognize the features of content area texts  

  E - Writing (Strategies)

   1. prewrite, draft, revise and edit writing to improve fluency, content, organization and style (writing process)

  2.  produce writing (including multi-paragraph, narrative, expository and persuasive with the focus on technical) that establishes an organizational structure appropriate to purpose, audience, content and type of composition

 3.   edit for spelling, fragments, run-on sentences and parallel structure

 4.   use writing handbooks, grammar check and references to edit usage and mechanics

5.    establish a clear, coherent thesis or controlling idea with examples, illustrations, facts and details

 6.   use logical and effective transitions between ideas and paragraphs

  7.  write to develop answers to research questions

  8.  document sources of quotations, ideas and facts

9.    incorporate reference quotations and citations into written text while maintaining the flow of ideas through the use of synthesizing information and summarizing to avoid plagiarism

10.    use technology and research to support writing  

 11.   establish voice through tone, word choice, rhetorical devices and literary devices

  F - Writing (Grammar, Usage and Mechanics)

  1.  identify and use sentence patterns

  2.  identify and use phrases, clauses, appositives and parenthetical expressions 

   3. use standard conventions of American English

   4. use appropriate forms of plurals, possessives and plural possessives 

   5. use present, past and future verb tenses to match intended meaning

  6.  maintain consistent number, gender, point of view and verb tense  

 7.   use independent clauses, dependent clauses and complements to clarify ideas

  8.  use hyphens to divide words, in fractions and to form combined-word adjectives before a noun

  9.  use quotation marks to punctuate dialogue and titles  

  10.  capitalize nationalities and languages    

 11.   use dictionaries, glossaries, texts, spell check, grammar check and human resources to identify standard spellings

  G - Accessing Information/Reference Skills

    1. use table of contents, index, glossary and appendix to locate information in books and reference works

   2. use table of contents, index, glossary and appendix to locate information in books and reference works

   3. use research venues to gather information: books, periodicals, dictionaries, thesauri, encyclopedias, atlases, almanacs, CD ROM, databases and Internet

  4.  use a study-reading strategy to study content area texts

   5. select and narrow topic and research questions

  6.  outline information